WAUSAU — A group of local cat lovers has begun meeting with Wausau-area leaders about creating a trap, neuter and return program to manage strays.

The grass-roots organization called Community Cat Action Team, or CCAT, first assembled in December and has met with the Weston Community Life and Public Safety Committee. The group will next make its pitch to the Wausau Public Health and Safety Committee in April.

"We have to figure out a place to start," said Amie Leonoff, one of two chosen CCAT leaders. "Eventually, for the program to be successful, it has to be a comprehensive area-wide program."

The group is trying to reduce the stray cat population without killing animals. Currently, strays are caught and killed if they aren't adoptable — something CCAT supporters say doesn't reduce the overall number of cats and isn't fair to the animals. Plus, the city pays $185 per cat to the Humane Society of Marathon County to house and kill. The city began to consider the trap, neuter and return program at the request of the humane society.

"These cats exist, and it's not their fault," Leonoff said. "I don't feel like it's the right solution to trap them and kill them off."

In trap, neuter and return programs, volunteers catch strays and bring them in to be fixed and vaccinated. Then the cats are returned to their communities to live out their lives without reproducing.

But opponents don't want to see strays returned to their neighborhoods, even if the cats are neutered.

Support from local municipal leaders and citizens is required for the program's success, in part because the program depends on a relaxation of pet licensing, leash and limit ordinances for the people who support colonies of neutered cats. Leonoff said several people in the area already do that, but they are not fixing or vaccinating those animals for fear of being cited for breaking those local ordinances.

Wausau officials are starting to talk about renewing the city's status as a bird city, a classification doled out by Bird City Wisconsin. Local birders have already spoken against the TNR program and will continue to do so, said Susan Haug with the Wausau Bird Club.

"We also remind the council of the bird-related events that are coming to the Wausau area. These events boost the local economy and feral cats do not," Haug said in an email.

Last week, the Wausau Parks and Recreation Committee, unsure whether a trap, neuter and return endorsement would cost the city points when it reapplies for bird city status, referred the issue to the Public Health and Safety Committee to work out.

"I think it's an important part of Wausau," said Parks and Recreation Committee Chairman Dave Oberbeck about the bird city classification. "It's just one component. I think we have to balance that in our community."

Oberbeck said he doesn't see many loose cats in his neighborhood, and those he sees wear collars — even though the city does not allow pets to roam off leash.

Loose cats will become more visible as the weather warms up, said Humane Society of Marathon County Executive Director Mary Kirlin, in part because mating season brings out the most undesirable traits in non-neutered strays.

"Nuisance behaviors," such as spraying, yowling and fighting, decrease after cats are fixed, Leonoff said.

Success will depend on a solid volunteer base, cooperation with local officials and patience, Leonoff said. "It's is going to be a long-term effort. It's something that has to be a long-term plan."

After the city started talking about a trap, neuter and return program, groups from all over the state called the humane society to offer help, Kirlin said. "There's more riding on this. We're well aware of that."

If the program were to fail in Wausau, it would harm efforts elsewhere.

On March 23, a Weston committee will vote on whether to endorse the program. It may go next to the village's Plan Commission, said Loren White, president of the village board. "That's one of the hurdles they'll have to get over."

If local officials don't buy in, CCAT cannot proceed, but the humane society could look at alternatives, Kirlin said. One option would be start sterilizing cats in rural areas.

CCAT meets at least twice a month and currently is planning its next meeting.

Nora G. Hertel can be reached at 715-845-0665. Find her on Twitter as @nghertel.